Georgian Church Calls for Constitutional Monarchy
( Civil ) - Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, said on October 7 it was time to start consideration of establishment of constitutional monarchy.
He said the monarchy of ancient Georgian royal dynasty of Bagrationi was terminated in 1801 when Georgia was annexed by the Russian empire and "since then it was a dream of the Georgian people to have this dynasty restored."
"I am saying this because today conditions are created which may help to make this dream of the Georgian people come true," Illia II said in his Sunday preaching in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi.
The announcement comes amid political confrontation between the authorities and opposition parties. A group of ten opposition parties have launched a campaign calling for abolishment of presidency and creation of parliamentary system of government.
"Discussions are currently underway what type of Georgia we should have," Illia II said. "Very often other states dictate us what to do. Some tell us it should be presidency and some say it should be a parliamentary [republic]. This is not up to others to decide. This is up to Georgian people and people living in Georgia to decide."
